sexual assault

American

[sek-shoo-uhl uh-sawlt] / ˈsɛk ʃu əl əˈsɔlt /

noun

nonconsensual touching of one person for the sexual gratification of another, including rape, fondling, molestation, or other unwanted contact with the genitals, anus, buttocks, groin, or breasts of either party.

The victim was intoxicated and incapable of giving consent, so any sex act will be treated as sexual assault.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

sexual assaults

plural

Etymology

Origin of sexual assault

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“Nothing suggested that the project would falsely accuse Ms. Banks of covering up a sexual assault, or being indifferent to what a contestant characterizes as a traumatic experience.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 16, 2026

A company issuing self-swab DNA testing kits to sexual assault victims has had online posts banned for containing misleading information.

From BBC • May 19, 2026

Department of Education characterizes the investigation as under Title IX, a federal civil rights law that prohibits sex-based discrimination, including sexual harassment, sexual assault and violence in any education program or activity receiving federal funding.

From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2026

He’s the International Criminal Court prosecutor who requested arrest warrants for Israel’s leaders in 2024, shortly after learning he had been accused of sexual assault.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 27, 2026

The measure would replace the current system of adjudicating sexual assault by taking the cases outside a victim’s chain of command.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023